While in Self-Isolation

I haven't talked about the Covid-19 pandemic and how it has affected not only my life, but the lives of others. I keep abreast of the latest scientific news, my husband (who works at an "essential" business) and I know what the risks are, and take precautions accordingly. And since both of us are in the "high risk" age group, we are cautious about talk of things opening up in our area. That being said, and with me being retired and pretty much an introvert, my lifestyle hasn't changed all that much. I try to concentrate on doing positive things, be it working in the garden, riding my horse, or raiding my stash of beads, jewelry findings, Goodwill T-shirts, stencils, art supplies, or writing. 

So between dragging a hose around to water the yard/garden, doing construction and painting of some Working Equitation obstacles for an upcoming WE clinic me and my partner are putting on June 6-7, and with outside temps rising into the 90s during the middle of the day, I have been retreating indoors and listening to Dr. Martin Shaw podcasts or his YouTube videos, and playing with jewelry making again. Last month I made a couple of necklaces at birthday gifts (see previous post), but  I wanted to do something a little more elaborate, again, using things I already had on hand. 

The first was this necklace, which I think has a very Renaissance flavor to it. I liked this necklace so much I intend to keep it, and that eventually when the artificial pearls start to lose their luster, I may remake it with real pearls. 

The one I just finished today is in a similar style, but made in a difference color scheme. The blue accent drops are from a vintage necklace picked up somewhere, that was broken, or missing pieces. I have had it for ages, so I don't really remember. 

They were not intended to be worn together, but they do make quite the statement when they are!

For both of these necklaces I made simple matching earrings. 

I had a lot of fun getting back into making jewelry, so I am looking forward making more pieces using only what I already have handy. 

Something else on my radar as a possible future project is a sweater coat made with some of my stash of Goodwill T-shirts. My inspiration for this comes from an amazing lady named Katwise, who makes stunning, one-of-a-kind sweaters and coats out of the sweaters she collects from all over the country. Most of her things, as much as I love them, are too flamboyant for me. However, I starting wondering if I could do something similar, a bit less flamboyant, more conservative in color, with the material I get from cutting up men's XXL T-shirts. This afternoon I made a quick sketch, thinking about a simple, simple knee-length coat, just to test and play around with to see if it would even work. For starters I found an old McCalls pattern I had (number 4243) that would give me a boxy bodice easily split up the middle, to which I could add sleeves and a pieced full skirt.  I also considered that if it worked, I could stencil and bead parts of it, to tart it up a bit. 

This is the rough sketch, with a few notes. Once the Working Equitation clinic is over and I can clear off my big worktable out in the garage (now covered with paints, and misc. building supplies) I can start playing with fabric again. With the summer temperatures rising into the high 80s and 90s, this will be a fun project to do when working outside is not really an option.

This is how an introvert stays sane in these chaotic times. Hope you  all stay safe and find your own ways to keep positive. 

Recycled Style 5

It has been quite a while since I posted anything here. Been working on other projects not related to clothing or beading. But now I am caught up, and can post three projects that were all finished up within the last month. Being in Covid-19 self-isolation for almost two months gave me plenty of time to finish these projects - and I admit, it helped that for two of them I was on a deadline. LOL

All material in these clothing items were T-shirts bought at the Goodwill unless otherwise noted. Beads and embroidery thread from my stash. 

Crafters/artists/jewelry makers/sewers, etc. sometimes get teased about all the supplies we stash away for "someday." But with all the stores closed due the pandemic, having a supply of things on hand to tide me over worked out really well. 

First item is a light jacket I made for a very good friend who shares the same birthday date as mine.  The necklaces were made to wear as a pair. 

The jacket was a woman's size M T-shirt that I cut up the middle, and also took about four inches off the sleeves to make them 3/4 length instead of full. The banding is sewn on with embroidery thread in a feather stitch, then beaded using regular sewing thread. The tank top under the jacket is an old one of mine, and used to show how the jacket could be worn. I like these light jackets for summer, so when I go into a restaurant where the air-conditioning is on full blast and set at arctic temperatures I won't freeze to death. 

The second project that I finished is this beaded and stitched mandala shirt. The stencil was done on a sleeve cut from another shirt (I have dozens of these sleeves, cut from XXL mens shirts when I use the body of the shirt as flat fabric). The paint color is Coastal Waters by Americana. The beads were ones from my stash. The stenciled sleeve was backed by another cut off sleeve, then pinned to the front of the shirt. Here is the sequence.

I like the design of this mandala very much, but in retrospect think it would have been better on the back of a jacket, or on a sweatshirt, as its size seems to overwhelm the T-shirt. 

Lastly is a necklace I made as a birthday gift. 

All this productivity has left me with just one old project to finish that has been sitting sidelined for months. With things still pretty much in lockdown, although some restrictions are lifting, I have plenty of time to catch up on things and then start new projects. That's always exciting. 

Hope you are all staying safe and healthy. 

Recycled Style 2

Number 2 in my ongoing attempt to get people inspired by using recycled clothes, whether you wear them "as is" or play around with modifying them, as I do. The garment industry is one of the top five sources of pollution in the world, so buying used clothing is just one little way you can help the environment. 

For this project I used one man's XXL T-shirt and one size large woman's shirt bought from the Goodwill. For the binding around the neck and armholes I cut strips from an old tank top of mine. Then I went through my stash of Goodwill kimonos to see if I had anything that would match. Bingo. Then I topped it off with a necklace I made years ago. All-in-all, it makes for a pretty nice outfit. 

Here are the details.

Simplicity pattern 1463 (view D modified by me), stencil, Tulip Soft Cover fabric paint in Dusty Rose, pink bugle beads and purple seed beads, J & P Coats embroidery thread in a dusky rose (it was an old skein I'd had for years, with no color numbers on the sleeve) 

Beads are sewn on with a back stitch using regular sewing thread doubled. These beads all had holes large enough that I could use a regular sewing needle instead of a beading needle. This made me VERY happy, as beading needles are a pain in the rear to thread. Well...for me, anyway.

The binding was hand sewn on with embroidery thread using a fly stitch. I cut strips 1 1/4" wide with a rotary cutter, then fold the strips in half the long way and iron them. This gives me the equivalent of bias tape, and I use the strips in exactly the same way.

 One of the places I modify the pattern is to round off the neckline instead of leaving it a V. This makes it easier to sew the binding on.

Normally I avoid buying shirts with pockets, as it cuts down the amount of fabric I can use, but I liked the color of this shirt, and it was an XXL, so I had plenty to work with. 

The back is also where I do a bit of altering from the pattern. When laying out the pieces, I add width to the center back (About two-three inches). I can get more gathers that way, which makes the lower part of the shirt hang a little nicer. 

Next I added the Liz Claiborne kimono I had found last summer in the pajama section at the Goodwill. It is a great example of the kinds of things you can find that don't need any customizing or sewing...just a good wash.  

The necklace was made from vintage navettes (the diamond shaped dangles) I bought years ago on Ebay, pieces of a vintage chain necklace that had belonged to my husband's grandmother, but was broken, and some beads from my stash. The center "jewel" is an old chandelier crystal.

A few notes. 

The yoke on this shirt was made from a woman's large top and was not pure cotton. It was also thinner material than I like. However, despite those two drawbacks, I really liked the colors and the pattern, so I went ahead and bought it. The cotton binding around the neckline and armholes help stabilize it, but in all honesty, it would probably have been better if I had reversed the colors and used the patterned piece on the bottom and the heavier cotton T-shirt material for the yoke. I just didn't have enough of the patterned piece to do that. 

I hope these posts about recycling clothing inspires you do give it a try, with the understanding that not everyone wants to bother with beading and stenciling, or may not know how to sew. But trust me, there are tons of garments out there that need nothing more that a really good cleaning (I run my finds through the wash twice). As an example, the patterned shirt I used for the yoke could have been worn "as is" with the kimono and it would have looked fantastic...all for less than $10. And remember, check out the pajama section at any used clothing store or the Goodwill. I have found some really nice kimono-type coverups there for around $4.99 or less. 

The ETT — Empire Tank Tunic

In the Alabama Chanin Studio & Design book they refer to this design as a Babydoll Dress. At my age, I am not going to refer to anything I wear as being "babydoll." I'd feel silly. So, I am calling this next project the empire tank tunic (ETT). Empire = having an empire waist.

Caveat: I took these photos outside on the deck (you remember me saying previously that the inside of my house is like a cave in winter), so the sunlight has lightened the colors in the photos, especially the closeup of the pleats, which look gray.  They aren't.

The teal blue T-shirt is one I bought years ago. I like the color, but the shirt is too short and too boxy. But it is a good, thick knit, so would make a good base for something.

The black-skirted mini-dress is a piece I found at the Goodwill for about $2.00. It is too small for me (tight across the back and under the arms), but I liked the pleated skirt part. I also wasn't too crazy about the pleats being above the bustline. As well as sewn in, the pleats are permanently ironed into the knit fabric, so that was new and different. Downside of this dress is that the knit is thin (you can see the sun shining through the yoke fabric in the closeup photo), and is one of those that collects lint and cat hair like a magnet. However, if sewn into a heavier yoke, I think the thin skirt will be okay. As for the lint and cat hair...well, I'm used to it.

For the binding color, I haven't decided yet. I have enough other black T-shirts to do black around the neckline and armholes, but I doubt I'll have enough of the teal blue to add to the black. I'd really like to have a strip of beaded blue on top of the pleated fabric just where it is sewn onto the blue yoke. If I don't, then I may opt for a third contrasting or complimentary color for all the binding.

What I hope to end up with is something like this, only longer...about mid-thigh. Blue on top, pleated black on the bottom. It will also be beaded. I want to be able to wear it over long-sleeved T-shirts, or with a bolero, for when the weather is cooler, or I know ahead of time I'm going to be trapped in a building with the AC running at sub-arctic temperatures.  

Tibetan Bolero, Finished — Sorta

I have finished beading the binding on the bolero, and at this point consider the piece done. I may, at some point, go back and add beads to the little prayer flags, but for now, I want to move on to something else. So here is the finished garment. I like the way it turned out, and I think I've said somewhere else (or maybe here) that I will do more of these little guys. They are fun, easy to make, comfy to wear, and make great mini-canvases to play around with.

Note on beading: I started out using heavy button/craft thread, but it was so thick it took an act of God to get it through the beading needle. After ten minutes of struggling with it I gave up, and used regular sewing thread doubled.  Next time I will find some quilting thread in the correct color and use that, probably doubled as well. The small beads won't fit over a bigger needle, so that option is out. And bigger beads would look a bit clunky, at least on this piece. I'm still experimenting, which is part of the fun.

Not why this photo came out so dark...ah well. 

Bolero...A Shrug, Not The Sultry Music.

In my ongoing experiment with the Alabama Chanin patterns, I decided to try the bolero next. And, since Robert gets more free red and black pet food promo T-shirts than any other color, other than maybe dark blue and an icky tan (he's now asking for extra large shirts just so I can cut them up, as he only wears a large), naturally, the bolero ended up red and black. I almost managed to work around the logos on the shirt, but still ended up with a bit on one sleeve. The binding got sewn on with, at this point, my rough execution of the herringbone embroidery stitch. Later I will add stencils to the front and back, but I need to get some black fabric paint. I may also add red beads to the black binding.

For future boleros, I think I'll make the sleeves a tad longer, and make the armholes a bit looser. They felt a little tight to me. Oh, and I used the size large on the pattern sheets, even though most of the time I wear a medium. The bolero still fit snug. I'm going to wear it a few tines before I make the next one, and decide whether I want to make the next size larger to get a looser fit. I think they are supposed to fit snug, but it felt a little too snug for my comfort zone—I have wide shoulders for my size. Anyway, time will tell.

I should also state that I didn't have a rotary cutter at the time I made this (I just bought one yesterday, along with a small mat board), so the binding is cut with regular scissors, which don't always leave a clean edge when cutting long, narrow strips.

 The hint of pet food logo I couldn't quite work around. Oh well.

So that's it. My first AC bolero. I like it because = I can get a bolero out of only one extra large T-shirt (other than contrasting binding), I like the feel of it, it's comfy to wear, easy to sew up, and makes a great little canvas for artwork. Can't beat that.

For further bolero inspiration, check out these amazing ones made by Rice, over at the Voodoo Cafe. They will knock your socks off!

Finished Tank Top—Review

Okay, here is the finished tank top, with the new reverse applique covering the pink blob/stencil mistake.

My conclusions after this first attempt are:

My embroidery skills suck! I hadn't done any in, oh, about 20+ years, so this first attempt back into it looks pretty rough. Also, I've decided that, in the future, for most of the sewing of the shirts, and the decorative stitching, I don't want to use embroidery floss. For the designs I like, it looks too primitive. Actually, the whole design on this shirt is more primitive than I would normally like or wear, but since it was an experiment, I kept things simple...for now.

Don't use the blanket stitch to sew on the facings. Because of the way it is sewn, it tends to make the facings fall outward. Next time I'll use either a chain stitch or a Cretan stitch.

I liked doing the reverse applique, and I really liked the stenciling, even if in this case it got covered up. I also enjoyed the beading. So, I figure the pieces I do in the future will have more stenciling and beading, with less embroidery.

Next, I really want to experiment with refining the color combinations betweeen the fabric, thread, stencil color, and beads. It's one of the things I like about the Alabama Chanin clothing...it looks sophisticated and classy, rather than primitive. Nothing at all wrong with more primitive-type designs. Lots of people love them and look good in them, they just aren't my thing.

 A few weeks back I picked up some really nice XXL T-shirts at the Goodwill (I wanted something that did NOT have a pet food logo on it). One was a lovely pale grey/green, and two others were rich purple. Those will be the next ones I play around with. One of the purple shirts had a great machine embroidered picture of a Tibetan temple on it, which I'll use on something. When I was enthusing over it at the checkout counter, the lady ringing it up kinda just nodded her head and mumbled something like, "Oh yes, very nice." Obviously, Tibetan temples don't float her boat.

The picture makes the green shirt look more mint-greenish, but it's actually a soft pale green.

Final word is, I love the idea of recycling T-shirts. I like that I can use beads and embroidery floss I already have, although the fact that the floss is 20+ years old might have had something to do with the fact it tended to tangle...A LOT.  I want to try working with quilting thread, and also metallic threads, or adding beaded stitching.  I NEED NEW GLASSES OR I WILL GO BLIND DOING THIS STUFF.

For fun, I'd like to incorporate rubber stamping, or drawing directly on the fabric to add to the stencil design. They do a bit of the drawing on fabric with some of the Alabama Chanin clothing, and I loved the look. I'm also wondering if some of the techniques used on T-shirt material could be used with recycled sweatshirts, since it's cold so many months of the year where I live. Lots and lots of things to think about and play around with, to keep me busy during the hot summer—As if making jewelry, writing, gardening, and working horses wasn't enough. LOL